Men's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season with Loss

3/1/1998

Panthers drop 81-70 decision at Seton Hall.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Donnell Williams tallied 14 of his 27 points in the final 6:01 Sunday as Seton Hall rallied to register an 81-70 victory over Pittsburgh in the last regular-season game for both teams.

The victory boosted Seton Hall to 15-13, assuring the Pirates of their first winning season since 1993-94. It also gave them a 9-9 Big East record, their best since 1992-93.

The Pirates, who had already clinched the sixth seed in the Big East tournament, will face Boston College in the first round Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.

Pitt closed its campaign with an 11-15 mark and finished 6-12 in the conference. The Panthers will play Villanova Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Big East tourney.

Seton Hall struggled for most of the game, falling behind 36-26 in the first half before scoring six straight points to cut the gap to 36-32 at the intermission.

The Panthers were still ahead 60-59 after a 3-point basket by Jarrett Lockhart with 7:15 to play when Williams went to work.

After Jackie Kaba grabbed a rebound and put it back to give the Pirates the lead for good, Williams hit his first of four 3-pointers down the stretch to make it 64-60.

Pitt pulled to within 68-67 on a Vonteego Cummings drive with 3:40 to play. But Williams then sandwiched a long 3-pointer and a tip-in around another Cummings basket.

Then, while Pitt turned the ball over on its next two trips, Williams, who was seven for 10 from beyond the arc, including five-for-five in the second half, put the game on ice with two more 3-pointers.

Shaheen Holloway helped keep Seton Hall in the game in the first half, scoring 13 of his 20 points then.

Cummings led Pitt with 19 points, while Lockhart added 18 points and 11 rebounds.